“In 1934 Rabbi Mordecai Kaplan, the founder of Reconstructionist Judaism, wrote his classic text Judaism As Civilization. Kaplan taught that there are three ways of identifying with a religious community: by believing, by behaving, and by belonging…And it’s true that no matter what Jews believe, and no matter how Jews behave, there is an underlying, fundamental and intrinsic interconnection that ties us together in a common history and present reality.”
–Rabbi Joe Klein
Celebrate Shavuot with a Night of Learning
Saturday May 19, 7-10 pm at the JCC
Choose from 4 study sessions taught by AARC community members
Eat cheesecake and other dairy sweets
Bring a box of grain to donate to Food Gatherers
Close the evening with Havdallah
7:00 PM: Gather
7:15-8:15: Jonas Higbee: “Building a Community Response to Fascism: Lessons from Richard Spencer’s Visit to MSU” (‘Behaving’)
7:15-8:15: Clare Kinberg: “Shavuot4BlackLives: Jewish Views on Reparations” (‘Behaving’)
8:15-8:30: Cheesecake Break
8:30-9:30: Etta King Heisler: “Belonging in America: What is Belonging and How Does it Broaden, Limit, Deepen, or Otherwise Define Our Community?” (‘Belonging’)
8:30-9:30: Rabbi Ora Nitkin-Kaner: “A Long and ‘Twisted’ Relationship: Us, God, and…Challah?” (‘Believing’)
9:30-10:00: Havdallah